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Jan. 1 may officially be New Year’s Day, but not all Canadians celebrate the new year on the same date. Canadians from the Filipino, Jewish, Russian, Ukrainian and Tibetan communities greet the new year at different times and celebrate in different ways. Polka dots for prosperity “Preparations begin immediately after Christmas and New Year celebrations…
This is how Cree-Métis literary critic Deanna Reder describes writings and storytelling by Indigenous authors in Canada. As associate professor in the departments of First Nations studies and English at Simon Fraser University in Vancouver, Reder is principal investigator of the project The People and the Text: Indigenous Writing in Northern North America to 1992,…
Approaching another wintry holiday season, both pharmacist Mary Mani and Father Ajin George say the celebration of Christmas can play an important role in maintaining both cultural and religious traditions and practises. Both Mani and Father Ajin are practising Catholics in B.C. who grew up in the Indian state of Kerala. For them, Christmas has…
It’s the darkest time of the year, and the Coquitlam Heritage Centre’s Mackin House is brightening things up. It’s just not in the way most Vancouverites would expect, says Jennie Johnston. “This time tends to be focused on the secular and Christianized versions,” says Johnston, the Centre’s program manager and the organizer of Celebration of…
Every mother wants the best for her child, but how that is defined depends on the context. In her upcoming talk on Decolonizing Mothering at Simon Fraser University (SFU), Yidan Zhu, a postdoctoral fellow in University of British Columbia (UBC)’s Faculty of Dentistry, explores mothering as an ideology influenced by colonial relations, including race, gender…
Over thirty filmmakers and panelists from Canada and other countries will participate in the 23rd annual Vancouver Asian Film Festival (VAFF), which promotes and celebrates the diversity and depth of Asian culture and identity in film and media. VAFF takes place Nov. 7–10, 2019 at the Cineplex Odeon International Village. The longest-running Asian film festival…
An evening aimed at youth but welcoming all, Aspire to Inspire is The 3E Organization’s second annual youth empowerment event scheduled for Oct. 22. The group is hoping to encourage collaboration and action among youth by hosting a free evening full of speakers and interaction with other members of the community. Reaching out to all Established in…
When it comes to societies like South Africa, there is always something that will contradict your preconceived notions, says Arianna Dagnino, author of The Afrikaner. Published by Guernica Editions Inc.. “I think what is happening now in the Western world, is something that has already happened in South Africa,” says Dagnino, who spent five years in…
Looking for ways to “Flaunt your Frenchness?” Look no further than Maillardville, the local francophone community in Coquitlam who, in 2019, is celebrating the 110th anniversary of its founding. Fraser Mills started off as a small mill hamlet in 1889 and soon became one of the biggest and most lucrative saw mill operations of the…
The Filipino Celebration at the Museum of Surrey pays homage to the rich culture of the Philippines, comprised of both traditional Filipino and Spanish Catholic traditions with American and Asian influences. The event will be held on Sept. 21. “There will be food trucks that will feature popular Filipino dishes, Tagalog and English story-telling with…
From Vietnam to Vancouver…via the Yukon? Kim Dinh now celebrates the Autumn Moon Festival of Vietnam with Vancouverites, but that festival has come by a circuitous route. Dinh’s original immigration – and the festival’s first Canadian incarnation – was in the Yukon, where Dinh moved to be with her husband. “I went straight from home…
It’s a French festival…with a Canadian twist! The upcoming Bastille Day celebration will bring French art and culture to all corners of the world, including Vancouver on July 14. And this worldwide event may have been started by Canadians, says Victoria Batrel. “It’s National French Day. In French we call it, “la fête du 14…
The unique Uyghurs! This Chinese ethnic minority shows influences from Turkey, Asia and Europe, but the Uyghurs have their own distinct traditions, says Turnisa Masidik. In Vancouver, 300 Uyghurs are holding onto that identity. “Uyghurs are a Turkic ethnic group,” says Masidik, an Uyghur activist and long-time member of Vancouver’s Uyghur community. “Some are in…
